Category: Family

Maybe we think our spouse should be the one to show us some attention, or they should be putting us first. While that is a valid point, we can only control our own actions. So a better approach might be for us to focus on what we can do for our spouse instead of what they are not doing for us.

We need listen to what the Bible tells us about love: It is not self-seeking.

I’d watch him walk out the door (to provide for our family … or whatever) and crave that separation, that solitude, that freedom for just one day.

And to some extent, that feeling is natural, okay even.

But when missing my freedom turned into resenting my husband for his, when I began begrudging him for a choice I had made, when envy began to cast shadows on my joy, that’s when this verse jerked me into the light: Love Does Not Envy.

Attend any wedding and you’ll likely hear 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It is a beautiful litany of verses that describe the nature of love, unconditional love. Sadly, like Psalm 23 being read at funerals or even reciting the Pledge of Allegiance daily in elementary school, you become numb to its rich meaning.

This year, I pray that I may be content in the stable. That I may find beauty in the meekness of a humble manger and not try to manufacture it everywhere else. Jesus is easily found in spaces untouched by the desire to put our own greatness on display. I have to be careful not to hide him.

But the older I get (and the more children I have), the more tension I feel at Christmastime. How do I create the perfect Christmas without making it all about a mythical being and gifts? How do I strike a balance between nauseating consumerism and fun-sucking religion?

In a season that so easily overwhelms, how can I slow down, lower my expectations, and point to the manifestation of Grace and Love in a way that excites my kids and blesses others?

We’ve forgotten that before we claim the title of Democrat or Republican or American, we claim the mission of a Heavenly King.

In our arguing, disagreeing, despairing, wallowing, shaming (basically, in our asshole-ness) in the name of our secondary titles, are we upholding the purpose we were given through our primary title? Our mission is the same today as it was last week: seek out the lost, the broken, the voiceless and GIVE THEM HOPE.

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Welcome friends. I'm Jordan. I write about the days with my wonderful husband and three little ones to help me get through the days with my wonderful husband and three little ones. I'm really good at eating chocolate, over-analyzing everything, and forgetting stuff. Come on in and have a look around. I'm so glad to have you.